NAM General Support

[CaptCity 4,753]

Sorry for the bump, but this is a new issue...

 

To be honest, I don't know if this is strictly a NAM 32-Pri issue, but it's what I have installed while looking into this problem. As mentioned above, I have been having crashing issues when using the GLR network. My game can run all day, but as soon as I lay out a GLR route, the game almost immediately crashes. I don't use GLR that often, so up until now, I just assumed I was one of the unfortunate ones that was having issues between the game and my computer and stopped using it. Today, however, I decided to dig a little deeper. Okay, enough of the back story...

 

I noticed that the file that seems to be causing my crashes is the 'no-automata' file included in the SFBT GLR Tram Mod, and I was wondering if it could somehow conflict with the automata feature in the NAM or if anyone else has had this happen. I've been checking plugins all day and this seemed to be the one causing it. Of course, this is just a preliminary check and something else might happen later, but I wanted to bring it up in case anyone else has noticed the same.

[Lost Realist 762]

 

Sorry for the bump, but this is a new issue...

 

To be honest, I don't know if this is strictly a NAM 32-Pri issue, but it's what I have installed while looking into this problem. As mentioned above, I have been having crashing issues when using the GLR network. My game can run all day, but as soon as I lay out a GLR route, the game almost immediately crashes. I don't use GLR that often, so up until now, I just assumed I was one of the unfortunate ones that was having issues between the game and my computer and stopped using it. Today, however, I decided to dig a little deeper. Okay, enough of the back story...

 

I noticed that the file that seems to be causing my crashes is the 'no-automata' file included in the SFBT GLR Tram Mod, and I was wondering if it could somehow conflict with the automata feature in the NAM or if anyone else has had this happen. I've been checking plugins all day and this seemed to be the one causing it. Of course, this is just a preliminary check and something else might happen later, but I wanted to bring it up in case anyone else has noticed the same.

 

 

I have had the game crash upon using GLR before the "Prelease", as I choose to call it, but not consistently. Sometimes it would crash everytime I tried to do something with the network but the next day it would work fine again. Crashes usually happened trying to place starters or puzzle pieces and yes, I am sure I wasn't hovering anything over TE stuff.

However I can't confirm any of your findings about SFBT GLR Tram Mod, mostly because I don't use it, or any GLR-related mods for that matter.

[CaptCity 4,753]

The crashes I was having were pretty consistent. I could use all the pieces and stations, but as soon as I completed a route and traffic begin to flow - boom - usually within minutes, sometimes seconds. I know I've used the GLR Tram Mod quite a bit in the past without problems. I just don't remember how far back.

 

Edit: I've been toying with this 'no-automata' file little more. Since the stations that come with NAM are in the Transit folder and being loaded later, I put the file in a folder that loaded last. This may have done the trick. I played a couple times for over an hour without a crash. When I put the file back into the folder I had it in (loading before NAM), it crashed within 3 minutes.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Something I've noticed lately.  I can run the game for hours without a crash and without a save (I leave the game running when I am out, sometimes).  Howsomever if I don't take regular saves when doing development, I will get a CTD within half an hour.  Generally this happens when working on the road network.  I don't use GLR, so this may not be the only problem.  @Captain City, have you tried your problem after backing out to NAM 31.2?

[CaptCity 4,753]

....  @Captain City, have you tried your problem after backing out to NAM 31.2?

 

That would be the next logical step... I do believe the crashes existed at the time NAM 31 came out. NAM 31 came out at about the same time I changed computers, hence my assumption (perhaps a bad one) that I was having the same issues as others with compatibility and the new NAM procedures. Because of this and my tendency to not use GLR very often, I never bothered to check into other possible causes related to plugins. Perhaps now's the time...

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Luck, guy.  Please keep us informed as you usually do.

[CaptCity 4,753]

Went back to NAM 31.2 with the same plugins set. The same issue occurred as before. With the GLR Tram Mod file loading before NAM, I had crashes within 3 minutes - tried twice. Making it load after allowed play for almost an hour without incident. I can't say if this issue is related to NAM or my computer, but it seems to be what I'm experiencing. I know most probably use the now NAM-included stations, but I like the SFBT stations in the Tram Mod. Perhaps it's a good idea to place any non-NAM stations in such a way as to load after NAM...?

 

@Nonny: I've never experienced the issue you've noticed with the roads networks, but then again I am a 'save freak'. Except in cases when I purposely want to not save (as in this case), I don't go more than a couple minutes without hitting ctrl+alt+s...

[z1 566]

This sounds suspiciously like the crashes that were solved by the 4GB patch.  Were you able to verify that you have that patch installed?  If there's any doubt at all, then in your NAM 31.2 directory, there is a directory called Tools, and inside it is the file 4gb_patch.exe.  Run that file on your SC4 executable.  The program will patch it if it's not patched, and  if it's already patched, nothing will happen.  (In NAM 32, the Tools directory has been moved to the NAM Auxiliary Files directory, so that its contents are not in your Plugins directory.)

[CaptCity 4,753]

 

This sounds suspiciously like the crashes that were solved by the 4GB patch.  Were you able to verify that you have that patch installed?  If there's any doubt at all, then in your NAM 31.2 directory, there is a directory called Tools, and inside it is the file 4gb_patch.exe.  Run that file on your SC4 executable.  The program will patch it if it's not patched, and  if it's already patched, nothing will happen.  (In NAM 32, the Tools directory has been moved to the NAM Auxiliary Files directory, so that its contents are not in your Plugins directory.)

 

 

Well, when I ran the NAM installer, it gave me the message that the file would be updated and it seemed to run okay. Afterward, I checked the exe file and saw that it had been altered by date and a backup had been created. So I thought it had been patched. However, I just tried the patch tool and upon completion it to said the patch had been applied as opposed to doing nothing. I'm confused, does this mean the exe wasn't patched before even though the NAM installer seemed to do it? 

 

I'll run some more testing on the placement of the no-automata file and see if anything is different.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

@Capt. City: You are not the only save-freak on the planet.  I save every time I've done something I don't want to do over which is every couple of minutes if I am developing things.  Interesting that it does better if you force the SFBT stations after the z___NAM folder.

[Titanicbuff 1,262]

 

Sorry for the bump, but this is a new issue...

 

To be honest, I don't know if this is strictly a NAM 32-Pri issue, but it's what I have installed while looking into this problem. As mentioned above, I have been having crashing issues when using the GLR network. My game can run all day, but as soon as I lay out a GLR route, the game almost immediately crashes. I don't use GLR that often, so up until now, I just assumed I was one of the unfortunate ones that was having issues between the game and my computer and stopped using it. Today, however, I decided to dig a little deeper. Okay, enough of the back story...

 

I noticed that the file that seems to be causing my crashes is the 'no-automata' file included in the SFBT GLR Tram Mod, and I was wondering if it could somehow conflict with the automata feature in the NAM or if anyone else has had this happen. I've been checking plugins all day and this seemed to be the one causing it. Of course, this is just a preliminary check and something else might happen later, but I wanted to bring it up in case anyone else has noticed the same.

 

Ive gotten that since NAM 30

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

@TB: try moving your SFBT GLR station files to a folder that loads after z___NAM.  Try some name like z___SFBT and put the actual files in subfolders as needed.  Note that's three underbars (___).

[CaptCity 4,753]

 

This sounds suspiciously like the crashes that were solved by the 4GB patch.  Were you able to verify that you have that patch installed?  If there's any doubt at all, then in your NAM 31.2 directory, there is a directory called Tools, and inside it is the file 4gb_patch.exe.  Run that file on your SC4 executable.  The program will patch it if it's not patched, and  if it's already patched, nothing will happen.  (In NAM 32, the Tools directory has been moved to the NAM Auxiliary Files directory, so that its contents are not in your Plugins directory.)

 

 

Well, when I ran the NAM installer, it gave me the message that the file would be updated and it seemed to run okay. Afterward, I checked the exe file and saw that it had been altered by date and a backup had been created. So I thought it had been patched. However, I just tried the patch tool and upon completion it to said the patch had been applied as opposed to doing nothing. I'm confused, does this mean the exe wasn't patched before even though the NAM installer seemed to do it? 

 

I'll run some more testing on the placement of the no-automata file and see if anything is different.

 

 

More news... After running the 4gb patch, I repeated the same procedures I had before with the placement of the no-automata file in the GLR Tram Mod. The results were the same. Loading the file before NAM caused crashes and after did not.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Seems something got overridden in the end.  Now the question is what?

 

When it comes to the network, I am very cautious in what I add, and always test in my sandbox.

[CaptCity 4,753]

I'm just wondering if the no-automata file is eliminating the Maxis elrail train then NAM comes along to do its thing but there's nothing there to do it on - confusion - crash...

 

I know that's not very good 'computer' speak, but it's the best I could do... Just showing my ignorance... 

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I am in the dark here.  What no-automata file, from what download?

[z1 566]

Well, when I ran the NAM installer, it gave me the message that the file would be updated and it seemed to run okay. Afterward, I checked the exe file and saw that it had been altered by date and a backup had been created. So I thought it had been patched. However, I just tried the patch tool and upon completion it to said the patch had been applied as opposed to doing nothing. I'm confused, does this mean the exe wasn't patched before even though the NAM installer seemed to do it?

 

No, from your description it was patched properly the first time.  The patch program doesn't appear to check to see if the target is already patched; it just goes and patches it, and reports on the results.  If the program was already patched, then the same bits just get written in the same place.

 

So it appears that your executable was properly patched already, and your GLR problem has nothing to do with the patch.  In fact, if moving those SFBT files fixes the problem, then that's clearly what the problem is.  If you could give me the names of the files in question, I can fix the installer to look for them and move them to a proper loading place if it finds them so that they don't crash the game.

[CaptCity 4,753]

The file in question is BSC_SFBT_glr_light_rail_no_el-train_automata.dat found in this download. However, there are several files in the set, but that one was the only file that needed moved. It would probably more efficient (if feasible) to keep the whole set together and move them all...?

 

These are the rest...

 

BSC_SFBT_glr_light_rail_automata_blue.dat

BSC_SFBT_glr_light_rail_automata_green.dat

BSC_SFBT_glr_light_rail_automata_yellow.dat

BSC_SFBT_glr_light_rail_automata_red.dat

BSC_SFBT_glr_light_rail_props.dat

BSC_SFBT_glr_light_rail_station_blue.SC4Lot

BSC_SFBT_glr_light_rail_station_green.SC4Lot

BSC_SFBT_glr_light_rail_station_yellow.SC4Lot

BSC_SFBT_glr_light_rail_station_red.SC4Lot

BSC_SFBT_glr_light_rail_ui_sound_automata_controller.dat

GLRave_regular_station_2x2_blue.SC4Lot

GLRave_regular_station_2x2_green.SC4Lot

GLRave_regular_station_2x2_yellow.SC4Lot

GLRave_regular_station_2x2_red.SC4Lot

GLRave_roundabout_station_blue.SC4Lot

GLRave_roundabout_station_green.SC4Lot

GLRave_roundabout_station_yellow.SC4Lot

GLRave_roundabout_station_red.SC4Lot

 

 

 

 

And sorry Nonny, I realized it had been several posts ago where I mentioned the actual file and download...

[z1 566]

More news... After running the 4gb patch, I repeated the same procedures I had before with the placement of the no-automata file in the GLR Tram Mod. The results were the same. Loading the file before NAM caused crashes and after did not.

 

From the ReadMe of the GLR Tram Mod:

 

Attention: To ensure proper functionality of this mod, it must be loaded after the Network Addon Mod, therefore the files must be placed "below" (alphabetically-wise) the folder where the NAM is installed!

 

(Emphasis in the original.)  It would seem that this issue has already been addressed.  Also, there is nothing in the z___NAM folder that would interact with this mod; I gather that that's what you found, since you mentioned loading the file after the NAM.  In this case, I would prefer not to put more special-case code in the installer, especially since the default installation directory for the GLR Tram Mod is a directory that comes after the NAM alphabetically.

[CaptCity 4,753]

Well, shame on me...    I've had this sitting happy in my 'permanent' Plugin set forever. I guess somewhere along the line I must have moved it to where it shouldn't have gone - must have been a long time ago - and didn't connect it to the problem. Thanks for the help and sorry for the hassle.

[BillGinCT 1]

I am trying to lay out a RHW-6C (elevated level 2) highway in my city using NAM 3.2. It seems no matter what I try (and I'm sure I am doing something wrong) I just can't create a ramp. The highway crosses directly over an avenue (perpendicular). Nothing fancy.

 

I have tried to draw it out as shown in the YouTube video but I think the video was intended for a ground level highway. I have tried both the Flex and MIS ramp pieces. I know I am doing something wrong but I cannot figure out what.

 

Can someone please instruct me as how to build the ramp off the highway?

 

If I have to reduce the number of lanes, I will need someone to explain the process for doing this. I have read the RHW manual and cannot find the answers.

[Ganaram Inukshuk 906]

I am trying to lay out a RHW-6C (elevated level 2) highway in my city using NAM 3.2. It seems no matter what I try (and I'm sure I am doing something wrong) I just can't create a ramp. The highway crosses directly over an avenue (perpendicular). Nothing fancy.

 

I have tried to draw it out as shown in the YouTube video but I think the video was intended for a ground level highway. I have tried both the Flex and MIS ramp pieces. I know I am doing something wrong but I cannot figure out what.

 

Can someone please instruct me as how to build the ramp off the highway?

You're probably referring to either NAM 31.2 or NAM 32-PR1. Just a side note, there are never any decimal points within the version number unless it's a critical bugfix version. (There have been over thirty different NAM versions already, and NAM 3 never had an RHW to speak of.)

Second, I believe that the Flex ramps are limited to L0 at the moment (both in the stable 31.2 release and the not-as-stable 32 Pre-Release), so there's no L2 (or L1, for that matter) 6C ramp interface that is usable. Your other alternative is to either use the L0 counterparts or switch to a different RHW width.

[Tarkus 6,932]

FLEXRamps do work at some elevated heights (that's the only way to build an L1 on/offramp), but of all the elevated networks, only the L1 and L2 RHW-2 and RHW-4 have limited FLEXRamp capability.  The elevated forms of the 6C, and most other elevated networks, have no on/offramps to speak of, FLEX or otherwise.  They've been planned as long as the networks themselves have been planned, but the models haven't been made, as models for elevated networks are considerably more difficult to make than ground-level items.

 

-Tarkus

[Sabretooth78 808]

Perhaps this has already been addressed, but why is the overpass showing congestion and why is the overpass causing congestion in advance on the carriageway running from bottom to top?  I'm guessing this is just some effect from multiple networks sharing a tile being seen by the simulator as an intersection - but does it otherwise have any negative consequences in terms of commute time, pathfinding or anything else pertaining to the simulator?

 

[z1 566]

I'm guessing this is just some effect from multiple networks sharing a tile being seen by the simulator as an intersection...

 

Yes, this is basically correct.

 

 

but does it otherwise have any negative consequences in terms of commute time, pathfinding or anything else pertaining to the simulator?

 

It acts like any other congestion.  With the NAM traffic simulator, this amount of congestion is insignificant.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I think the alternate (traffic flow) display with this tool will show nicer results.  The congestion display works on a tile by tile basis in the grid and can be alarming at times.  It is kind of like a game of Texas Hold'em.

[Sabretooth78 808]

I think the alternate (traffic flow) display with this tool will show nicer results.  The congestion display works on a tile by tile basis in the grid and can be alarming at times.  It is kind of like a game of Texas Hold'em.

 

Yeah, it does.  My only problem with the volume display is that it doesn't give any quantitative measure for infrastructure upgrade needs, except for roads and streets (problem per se; I have no gripes with it from a technical standpoint).  Though I have to say I do appreciate the intersection congestion effects.  I used to remember it was always two "green" or "yellow" streets with a "red" intersection; now there will tend to be congestion leading up to an intersection as well.  I'll take this over the old any day - much more realistic spill-back effect, as long as you recognize where and why the anomalies tend to occur.

 

In that sense, it's actually kind of funny that in my picture, there is inverted congestion at the overpass whereby the actual "intersection" shows a lighter congestion than the "approaches".

[z1 566]

In that sense, it's actually kind of funny that in my picture, there is inverted congestion at the overpass whereby the actual "intersection" shows a lighter congestion than the "approaches".

 

The reason for this is that many of the newer networks, such as various NWM networks, had to be modified from a standard road in order to boost their capacity to or near reasonable levels.  The way this was done, the roads appear as a series of intersections to the traffic simulator.  In order to avoid having these entire roads appear as congested, the intersection effect had to be eliminated from the actual intersection itself.

 

This is actually not so different from RL.  The long wait at intersections (generally due to stoplights) is to get into the intersection.  Once you've gotten into the intersection, traffic moves faster, except for the minority portion that may be making certain turns.

[fefe_Jooj 14]

I've just found a little and annoying pathfinding bug on FAR-RHW 8S Type C1 Exit Ramp (RHD)

 

 

 

The arrows are inverted .-.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Looks like a pathing error.  Have you tried NAM 32-rp1?